114 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
roads in about the same proportion. If kept cleared from any given 
area, those owning beds around the margin have the most to do in 
fighting them, and in so doing they shield their neighbors. Mutual 
and persistent efforts in this direction furnish the only means by which 
all the beds can at present be protected, and by codperation not only 
may the destructiveness of starfishes be greatly lessened, and the seeur- 
ity of the beds be more or less insured, but the cost of removing star- 
fish or of guarding against their attacks will fall less heavily on the 
planters who are now most active-in their watchfulness. It is these 
men whose grounds are kept in the best condition and who are secur- 
ing the most benefits, while those who are careless or indifferent in 
their attentions are subject at any time to heavy or entire losses. 
It is generally considered that the beds or parts of beds in close prox- 
imity to a reef or other obstruction on the bottom are among the most 
liable to be invaded at frequent intervals, as the starfishes can not be 
completely eradicated from such places. The natural beds may also be 
cited as a fruitful source of danger, in that the stars may breed and 
grow upon them practically undisturbed, and may at any time pass to 
the neighboring cultivated areas. Steam dredging is not allowed upon 
these public grounds; no one is responsible for their condition, and no 
one has the power, even if he had means and interest, to keep them free 
from pests. As matters stand at present they are a constant menace 
to valuable private interests—a condition of affairs never tolerated in 
respect to agricultural pursuits. 
Despite the amount of damage caused by natural enemies, the oys- . 
ter industry of Connecticut is exceedingly prosperous, yet no one doubts 
that this prosperity might be increased by a removal of this source 
of injury. While this can, probably, not be done effectually, a great 
measure of protection might be afforded through the intervention of 
the State, as well as by a reduction in the relative extent of the planted 
area to such a limit that all the grounds could be under constant 
supervision. The greater losses have resulted from a lack of vigilance, 
and unfortunately the diligent cultivator is too often made to suffer 
from his neighbor’s carelessness. fn the Norwalk district they do not, 
as a rule, attempt to cultivate more ground than they can properly 
attend to, and a reduction in the abundance of starfishes has been noted 
there, but the same was not found to be the case in some of the other 
districts examined. 
During 1888 and 1889 only a small set of spat was secured through- 
out the sound, and a great amount of damage by starfishes was re- 
corded. In 1890, however, a heavy set was obtained, although it was 
not evenly distributed. It was fairly good frem the ThimLle Islands to 
the Milford district, being very abundant in the latter region, and es- 
pecially so on the natural bed off Stratford and on some of the planted 
grounds in the same vicinity. The region farther west was less favored 
in this respect, except in some places of limited extent. 
